Engine starter control



Sept. 3, 1935.' Q E, FURGASON 2,013,238

ENGINE STARTER CONTROL Filed Jan. 9, 1955 www4/13,0

Patented Sept. 3, 1935 ENT OFFICE ENGINE STARTER CONTROL Application January 9, 1933, Serial No. 650,945

3 Claims.

vention to facilitate the starting of the engine without eliminating complete control by the operator. In the present state of the art it is usual to control the engine starter by a separate pedal which when depressed Will close the starting switch. Such constructions have the disadvantage that to engage the starting pedal the operator must remove his foot from the accelerator pedal so that the throttle is closed to idling position and renders starting difficult. It is of course possible for the, operator to manipulate the hand control for the throttle, but this requires removal of one hand from the steering wheel and it frequently happens that when an engine stalls the driver neglects to perform this function and nds difficulty in restarting the engine. In other constructions which have heretofore been used the starter is automatically operated whenever the engine ignition circuit is closed. Ihis has many disadvantages, among which are rst, that if the operator should leave his car in gear and then close the ignition switch without disengaging the clutch, the car would be driven by the starter; second, the construction involves complications which are undesirable. A

With the present invention the starting of the engine still necessitates a manual operation other than the closing of the ignition switch. This operation is, however, effected by the depression of the accelerator pedal and therefore enables the operator to open the throttle as far as desired at the same time that the starting motor is energized, thereby insuring quick starting. A further feature of the invention is that as soon as the engine starts, the starting circuit is automatically open, this being effected by an exceedingly simple device, avoiding the complications usually involved. The invention therefore consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a sectional side elevation showing my improved starter control in connection with the accelerator pedal and other cooperating parts of the starter and engine;

Fig. 2 is a cross section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Engines which are used in motor vehicles at` the present time are almost universally provided with pressure lubricating systems. Consequently whenever the engine is running there will be developed a fluid pressure in the system. With my improved control I provide an electric switch Y or circuit closer having fluid operated means for automatically opening the circuit whenever there is pressure in the lubricating system. This insures the cutting out of the starter as soon as the engine starts, as this will almost instantane- 5 ously develop the required fluid pressure. In addition to this automatic control, my improvement is provided with means for holding the electric circuit closing switch open whenever the accelerator pedal is in normal position and for permitting the closing of the switch upon a slight depression of said pedal. Thus the operator retains his manual control but accomplishes it through the accelerator pedal.

In detail, A is the accelerator pedal which is fulcrumed on the rock shaft B and is provided with the usual rock arm C and link rod D leading to the throttle (not shown). D' is a portion of the engine crank case which has a channel E in the wall thereof for the pressure oil. F is a portion of the housing of the engine starter and G is the conductor cable connected with the starting motor (not shown).

Arranged at a suitable point is an electric circuit closing switch H which as shown comprises a housing I having the contacts J and J mounted on opposite walls thereof and insulated therefrom by the bushings K. L is atbridge contact member which is mounted upon a vertically extending rod M being insulated therefrom by the bushing N. At the lower end of the rod M is a piston O engaging a cylinder P, the latter being preferably integral with the housing I. Q is a conduit connecting the lower end of the cylinder P with the pressure oil passage E in the crank case D and R is the drain conduit connected with the cylinder P at a point above the lower end of the piston O and at its opposite end connected with the crank case D to drain into the oil pan.

With the parts thus far described, whenever the engine is not operating and consequently there is no greater than atmospheric pressure in the channel E, the piston O and rod M are permitted to move downward to carry the bridge contact L towards the contacts J and J This 45 downward movement may be eected either by gravity or by the pressure of a spring S. This may be sleeved around the upper portion of the rod M within a hollow nipple T, the lower end of the spring bearing against the bushing N and its upper end against an abutment formed by the bushing T having a threaded engagement with the nipple. Thus the tension of the spring may be adjusted in relation to the fluid pressure in the conduit Q when the engine is not operating.

To prevent the automatic closing of the circuit by the bridge contact L whenever the engine is not in operation, the piston O is grooved at O to form a shoulder O2, and a pin U engaging this shoulder will normally limit the downward movement of the rod M. This pin U extends eccentrically from the end' of a rock shaft V having a rock arm V connected by a link V2 and rock arm V3 tothe accelerator pedal A. The arrangement is such that in the normal position of the pedal A the pin U is at the upper dead center of the rock shaft V but when the pedal A is depressed the rotation of the shaft V will remove the pin from the shoulder O2 so as to permit the bridge contact L to engage the insulated contact members J and J Y With the construction as described, assuming that the circuit closing switch I-I is connected by a cable G to the electric circuit for the engine starting motor, it will be observed that this circuit remains broken whenever the accelerator pedal A is in normal position or the engine is operating to develop fluid pressure in the'channel E. If the engine is stalled while the accelerator pedal is depressed the dropping of lubricant pressure will close the switch and re-start the engine. If on the other hand the accelerator pedal is in normal position when the engine stalls, the depression of this pedal will close the switch and restart the motor. In either case, as soon as the engine is started the fluid pressure in the conduit E will move upward the piston O against the pressure of the spring S removing the bridge contact L from the contacts J and J and thereby opening the electric circuit.

The construction is exceedingly simple and inexpensive to manufacture as the only parts other than those present in every engine starter system are the switch H, the connections to the accelerator pedal and the iiuid connecting conduits Q and R. Inasmuch as there will always be oil pressure when the engine is in condition for operation, this will insure automatic cutting out of the starter while the pedal A maintains the manual control. There are many situations in the operation of a motor car where it is most undesirable to have a completely automatic operation with the starter. For instance, if the motor stalls on a steep grade, the car may start backward before the brake is applied. Under such a condition the automatic throwing in of the startermight seriously injure the mechanism. However, with my improved construction the accelerator pedal may be instantaneously released, thereby cutting out the starter.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. The combination with an internal combustion engine having a pressure oil lubricating system, an accelerator pedal and an electricallyV operated engine starter, of a control mechanism therefor including a casing having spaced electrical contacts therein, a bridge contact, a plunger on which said bridge contact is mounted, a piston at the lower end of said plunger engaging a cylinder in said housing, a connection between the lower end of said cylinder and the oil pressure lubricating system, a rock shaft mounted on said housing, an eccentric pin on said rock shaft engaging said piston to normally hold the same in a position where said bridge contact is removed from said spaced contacts, a connection between said rock shaft and the accelerator pedal whereby the depression of said pedal will move said pin to permit closing of said bridge contact with said spaced contacts, and electrical connections for including said spaced contacts in the starting motor circuit.

2. The combination with aninternal combustion .engine having a pressure oil lubricating system, an accelerator pedal and an electrically operated engine starter, of a control mechanism therefor including a circuit closing switch for the starting motor, said switch comprising a housing having a chamber therein and a cylinder below said chamber, a piston in said cylinder, a rod extending upward from said piston, spaced electrical contacts mounted upon and insulated from said housing, a bridge contact mounted on said rod and adapted on the lowering of the same to engage said spaced contacts, a hollow nipple at the upper end of said housing through which said rod passes, an adjustable bushing in said nipple, a spring within said nipple abutting against said bushing and against a shoulder on said rod, a rock shaft on said housing, an eccentric pin on said rock shaft engaging said piston to normally hold said bridge contact out of engagement with said spaced contacts, a connection between said rock shaft and accelerator pedal wherebyV the depression of said pedal will lower said pin and permit closing of the switch, and a connection between said cylinder and the oil pressure enlarged chamber at its upper end with opposite Y ment for the upper end of said spring, a crank journaled on the side of said cylinder having a crank pin extending into the interior of the cylinder, said piston being grooved for receiving said pin and forming a shoulder for bearing thereagainst whereby the rocking movement yof said crank will raise said bridge contact out of connection with the contacts on'the opposite side" walls, and a liquid pressure supply connection forV the lower end of said cylinder whereby iiuidY pressure will also raise said piston and separate said lbridge contact from the cooperating Ycontacts.

CLAUDE E. EUIREGASON.Y 

